Broke lug nut from tires

[ReformedChapin]

I popped a tire on Sunday on my home from church. When I took it today to the mechanic he said that I put one of them on wrong and when he tried to take it off it broke off. Can I drive my car safely with three lug nuts adjusted tight on my car? The mechanic said it shouldn't be a problem but I am not sure.

 

[LawrenceU]

I wouldn't do it at all. Those lug studs and nuts are there for a reason. If your rim only has four that means you have an entire quarter of the rim that is unsupported. That is asking for it. Replacing lug studs is easy. Any mechanic worth his salt would not let you out of the shop without replacing it or making you sign a wavier. They go on very easily, labor and parts on one is cheap.

 

[toddpedlar]

Do not do it. Driving with 3 lug nuts on a tire, no matter how tight, is no better than sitting on a four-legged chair, with three tight legs and one that's missing.

 

[toddpedlar]

I wouldn't do it at all. Those lug studs and nuts are there for a reason. If your rim only has four that means you have an entire quarter of the rim that is unsupported. That is asking for it. Replacing lug studs is easy. Any mechanic worth his salt would not let you out of the shop without replacing it or making you sign a wavier. They go on very easily, labor and parts on one is cheap.

Right. It's also the case that labor on a replacement of a lug stud is much less profitable than the labor on a replacement of an entire rim or axle. (not that your mechanic is aiming for this, but ... )

 

[ReformedChapin]

I wouldn't do it at all. Those lug studs and nuts are there for a reason. If your rim only has four that means you have an entire quarter of the rim that is unsupported. That is asking for it. Replacing lug studs is easy. Any mechanic worth his salt would not let you out of the shop without replacing it or making you sign a wavier. They go on very easily, labor and parts on one is cheap.

I should be more specific the lug stud broke off with the nut because he said I put it on incorrectly. It was more than just a broken nut.

BTW the mechanic said it SHOULDN'T be a problem. I made a mistake in my original post.

 

[toddpedlar]

I wouldn't do it at all. Those lug studs and nuts are there for a reason. If your rim only has four that means you have an entire quarter of the rim that is unsupported. That is asking for it. Replacing lug studs is easy. Any mechanic worth his salt would not let you out of the shop without replacing it or making you sign a wavier. They go on very easily, labor and parts on one is cheap.

I should be more specific the lug stud broke off with the nut because he said I put it on incorrectly. It was more than just a broken nut.

BTW the mechanic said it SHOULDN'T be a problem. I made a mistake in my original post.

I understand... and a mechanic that says this should not be trusted. Take it elsewhere (or to him if you still trust him) for replacement. It's just plain stupid to drive a car with a tire on it that is designed for support from four lug nuts with only three supporting it.

 

[VictorBravo]

Right, right, right.

By the time it took to get all this information, your average backyard mechanic could have had the bolt replaced and a new nut put on.

It is no fun having a wheel come off while driving. It's bad for your car, and it's really bad for anybody who might be in the path of the rolling wheel. Talk about a liability nightmare!

BTW, I once saw a semi-trailer wheel come off as the truck was going about 60. The wheel went right through a trailer court, missing the mobile homes and somehow, by God's grace, passing by a toddler on a trike. It kept going pass the trailer park and bounced up on another highway, barely missing a car, and came to rest in a front yard. Anybody who has messed with truck wheels can appreciate the force behind such an object. A car wheel of say 40 pounds traveling at 30 or 40 mph is pretty deadly too.

 

[dr_parsley]

I confess to driving for over a year with 4 out of 5 nuts on one wheel. I did try to replace it but being remote it wasn't easy. I finally was in a big city and went to do it and felt very sheepish when all the nuts were there! I have no idea how it happened and my wife thinks I imagined the whole thing. I'm claiming a miracle!

Anyway, I agree with the advice. The car should get you to a garage (order ahead so they get the right part if you're remote) but don't drive too fast on your way. I once had two out of four nuts on a wheel (I think someone was trying to kill us) and so I changed it so there were 3 out of 4 on two wheels. I went to get replacements 500km away and the nuts weren't loose when I arrived, but I wouldn't risk it.

 

[ReformedChapin]

I'll try to get it fixed as soon as possible. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Edward]

My advice would be to find another mechanic. I'm not sure I believe him about whose fault it was, either.

 

[Berean]

My advice would be to find another mechanic. I'm not sure I believe him about whose fault it was, either.

I wouldn't trust him to fix it correctly.